Monday, April 19, 2010

Vista D'oro in a (Wal)Nutshell

We received our winery license, after a three year wait, in 2007. This has been a labour of love and hate, however, I think we are finally getting into a grove and going into year three will make a difference. The learning curve was steep and a manual on 'how to start a winery in BC without losing your patience and mind' could be a bestseller, if anyone is interested in writing it, I am NOT!

We are no longer hosting cooking classes at the farm, just too crazy making our preserves and baking for the farmgate shop. I hope one day to be able to do both, maybe in the 'Old Dairy Barn' once that project gets going....more on that at a later date.

We continue to operate the farmgate shop on the farm, which is also where the wine tasting takes place. We've increased our local offerings and continue to search out the best artisan products BC has to offer, to accompany our own products. Any and all recommendations are considered, if you know of a great locally produced product, please let us know!

The greenhouse is just getting going again for the season, we have great help this year and hope to have enough heirloom tomatoes to make the customers and the kitchen happy!

Enough about work!

We've welcomed a new member to our family this past Christmas, he's actually been in the family for over 12 years and we're lucky enough to be his new caregivers! Jesse, is a majestic Bay & White Quarterhouse Paint, which my cousin Teresa received through the Make-a-Wish foundation while she was going through cancer treatment at the age of 13. Unfortunately, Teresa never got to ride Jesse....we hope she's happy with his new home!

Roxy, my little Westie (read apartment dog) is adjusting well to farm life, pretty sure she was white when she arrived two years ago...Paris, our 'real' farm dog, has no time for her, but Roxy's not giving up, they WILL be friends, just give her a couple more years!

We are down to one chicken, Chicken Little, who lives with my horse, Rico. She roosts above his stall at night and hangs out on his back during the day, likely how she avoided the fate of the rest of the chickens. She's getting a little grumpy in her old age and I now carry a broom when I feed her, she may be tiny, but she's damn scary up close!

That pretty much gets you up-to-date- on farm life, minus all the details, which may or may not get covered in future posts.